


The Very Thought of You

by dontmissshifty



Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But here ya go, F/M, First work - Freeform, M/M, Scared to death, but i'm a total cheeseball, probably cliché
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:47:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23412565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dontmissshifty/pseuds/dontmissshifty
Summary: Babe always thought of himself as a practical guy. That is, of course, until he meets Eugene Roe.
Relationships: Babe Heffron/Eugene Roe, Bill Guarnere/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	The Very Thought of You

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I made Babe's parents Irish immigrants.  
> All translations are taken from Google Translate. Please don't blame me if they're wrong.

Babe always thought of himself as a practical guy. He shared an apartment with his best friend Bill Guarnere and always managed to pay his portion of the rent on time and in full, even with his salary as a mechanic. He always managed to take care of himself, even though Bill still saw him as the 15 year old, gangly-limbed kid that he used to be. Babe was practical when it came to schedules, going out with friends, and even that fucking Julian kid that always seemed to be hovering around him lately. Babe even grocery shopped like an _adult_ , for Christ sakes.

One thing Babe was not practical about, though, were things pertaining to Eugene Roe. 

* * *

Babe first met Gene at the _506,_ a bar that Babe and his friends usually frequented. Spina had invited him and fellow nurse Renee Lemaire to join them.

“He just graduated from med school,” is what Ralph says.

At that time, Gene had been standing with Renee. _Always_ with Renee. They had been speaking in hushed tones of what sounded like French.

“Renee just transferred here from a hospital in Belgium,” Spina adds. “Figures she needed some time abroad.”

Babe is barely listening, suddenly very interested in this Dr. Eugene Roe. He can’t say it’s love at first sight, no. That’s for the corny romance novels and movies. It’s more like… _intrigue_ … at first sight.

Something about Gene Roe interests him. His raven black hair that’s disarrayed in such a way that Babe thinks he’s the kind of man that spends most of his time running his fingers through it, absentmindedly or not. His hands look exactly like he pictures a doctor's hands should look; long, thin fingers that are expert at fixing ailments but are also a bit dry and cracked. His mouth seems to be constantly pursed and Babe wonders what it would take to make the man smile. But his eyes. God, his _eyes_. They’re a dark blue, like the night sky, the kind of sky that’s so dark it makes the stars shine brighter. It’d be easy to get lost in them. There’s something in them though, a spark, and Babe wants nothing more than to find out what it is.

This is, of course, when Babe loses all sensibility regarding Gene Roe.

* * *

Bill is the first one he tells. Why wouldn’t he be? Bill is his best friend and Babe wouldn’t dare tell anybody else. So he finally tells Bill about his interest in the Doc. And Bill reacts exactly how Babe should’ve expected him to.

“A’course I know you gotta schoolgirl crush on the Doc! I’m ya goddamn best friend. Why wouldn’t I know?”

Babe should’ve seen this coming.

“Wait, am I that obvious?” he asks, panicking. If he’s been too obvious with his crush, then Gene could’ve figured it out and, oh god, Babe thinks he might start hyperventilating.

“Babe, calm down!” Bill’s voice cuts through his internal- or not so internal, since Bill is telling him to calm down- panic. “Ya not bein’ obvious. Like I said, I’m ya best friend. Have been since we were in diapers. By now I’ve picked up on when you’re interested in a guy.”

Babe lets out a great big exhale of relief. Then Bill opens his mouth again. “This seems different though…” Bill trails off.

“Whaddya mean?” Babe asks, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

“This isn’t one of your normal crushes, Heffron. You’ve been acting different with this one. With ya other ones, you would make a comment about how attractive they are, ya go on one date, have a little fun,” he winks. “But then you’re done.”

“Is there a point to this, Gonorrhea?” he asks, leg bouncing up and down nervously.

“What I’m trying to say is that the Doc must be something special cause you’re not acting like you usually do with a crush. You waited this long to tell me about him. Also, the way you described your crush? Well, geez, Babe. Someone might think you’re halfway in love with him."

Babe really should’ve expected this.

* * *

After meeting Gene at the _506_ , Babe tries to spend as much time with him as he can, to learn as much about him as he can.

Gene comes from a little town called Bayou Chene. He’s an only child, which Babe sometimes finds himself jealous of, being the youngest of five. His grandmother was a traiteur, a Cajun healer. Babe finds himself fascinated by that.

“Your grandmother.. she was a-a- what do you call it?”

Gene gives that little smirk, the one that drives Babe crazy. “A traiteur,” he says, with that slow Cajun drawl. “She put ‘er hands on people an’ took away their sickness and pain.”

“No kiddin’! Just like that?”

The smirk grows. “Jus’ like that,” Gene repeats. “Then she would pray about all the sickness and pain she took away.”

Babe falls even more.

* * *

Four months after meeting Gene Roe, after finding out that he’s probably the most selfless man Babe has ever met, he thinks he’s gathered enough courage to finally tell Gene how he feels and ask him out on a date.

Babe wants to impress Gene but he doesn’t want to seem like he’s trying too hard, so he settles for a light blue button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow- he has _fantastic_ forearms, thank you very much- and some jeans.

He heads to the hospital where Gene is working a shift-- where he’s always working a shift. Gene is always working to help other people, pulling multiple shifts, yet still manages to make time for Babe. Sometimes he’ll stop by the auto shop where Babe works just to check in and say hi to everybody.

Babe doesn’t even know how he makes it off the subway and to the hospital, he’s so nervous. He heads to the front desk, where the receptionist tells him that Dr. Eugene Roe can be found on the third floor. After an elevator ride that seems to take an hour, he starts scouring the floor for Gene, his heart pounding in his chest. He hears the distinct sound of French being spoken from a room at the end of the hall and heads straight there.

Where he promptly wishes he hadn’t.

The door is propped open and as he walks up and looks in, he sees Gene with Renee. _Always_ Renee. And they’re engaged in a passionate liplock.

* * *

_OhGodOhGodOhGod_ -

He needs to _get out_ -

Why would he even think that he had a chance with Gene? Stupid. So stupid.

* * *

Babe doesn’t even know how he gets home. One minute he’s at the hospital, then he’s quickly running down the hall, then he’s home. Did he take the subway? A cab? Babe doesn’t know. All he knows is that his heart is breaking; shattering into a million pieces.

He slams the door shut as soon as he gets in and heads straight for the fire escape- grabbing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter along the way. Babe doesn’t smoke much, really only when he’s nervous or when something’s gone wrong and goddamn if he doesn’t think this situation warrants it.

He fumbles getting a smoke out of the pack and when he finally gets it out and lifts the lighter, the fucking thing _won’t work_. He throws both of them down with a curse, pacing along the length of the fire escape.

“Babe?” he hears suddenly. It’s Bill, of course.

“What?”

“Are ya alright?”

Babe lets out a harsh chuckle. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Bill looks pointedly down at the cigarettes and lighter laying haphazardly where Babe had thrown them.

“Oh, that. That’s nothing.”

“Don’t look like nothing, Babe.”

Babe decides to be honest with Bill.

“I-I got the bright idea to go ask the Doc out on a date,” Bill doesn’t miss the fact that Babe says ‘the Doc’ instead of Gene like he usually does. “Great fuckin’ idea that was. So I get dressed up nice cause I wanna make a good impression and I go to the hospital and I find Gene. With Renee. _Always_ with Renee.”

“Are you sure you saw right?” Bill asks.

“How could I miss it? They were practically on top of each other.” Okay, it wasn’t quite that bad but it feels that way to Babe.

“Shit, Babe. I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me too.” If he wasn’t so distraught, he probably would’ve been embarrassed by the way his voice cracked and his eyes welled up with tears.

* * *

“Bill?” she asked as she answered her cell phone.

“Frannie? Frannie, I need you to pick up some things on your way over.”

“Yeah, sure. What’s wrong?” she asked, as she could hear the distress in her boyfriend’s voice.

“Babe, um, he went to ask the Doc out on a date today. And found him in a liplock with Renee. He’s not doing so well.”

“My poor Babe.”

“I know. I was hoping you could pick up the ingredients for his favorite meal on your way home. Maybe cheer him up a bit.”

“Don’t worry, I will. I’ll be home soon.”

“Thank you.”

With that, she heads to the nearest grocery store.

* * *

Babe’s parents immigrated here from Ireland when his oldest sibling was 2 years old. They settled on Philly, deciding it was the best place to raise their family.

Being immigrants wasn’t the best situation, especially in a family of 7, but Babe’s parents always made sure there was food on the table and more than enough love to give. One of the ways that Babe’s mom, Saoirse, showed her love was through her Shepherd’s pie. Whenever the family was going through a rough time, whether it be through a cut in pay or dealing with a bully at school, she would always whip up her famous Shepherd’s pie, not caring that it took a little longer to make, because it was such a comfort food and always brought a smile to everyone’s face.

So that’s what Frannie was gonna do. She was gonna make Saoirse’s Shepherd’s pie and hope that it might bring a smile to Babe’s face.

And if she happened to see a stuffed lynx through a shop window on her way home, well, she hoped that would bring a smile to Babe’s face too.

* * *

Frannie meets Bill in the kitchen and they talk while making Shepherd’s pie.

“He’s just laying on his bed. He hasn’t really talked about it much.” Bill says, recounting the situation he walked into that afternoon.

She just sighs.

“That kid loves with his whole heart. He don’t dish small pieces of his heart out to people. He loves with his whole goddamn heart and I hate when it gets him into situations like this.”

“The pie’s just about done. Let’s take it up to him.”

* * *

Babe’s in his Scooby Doo pajama pants and a raggedy t-shirt when they walk in. Bill thinks he looks like the 12 year old kid he grew up with.

“We got something for ya, kid.” Bill coos.

“Shepherd’s pie?” Babe asks weakly. “Thought I could smell it.”

“Yeah, scoot on over,” Bill says. Babe does and he and Frannie sit on either side of him. Soon enough the Shepherd’s pie is finished and Babe is tucked into Frannie’s hip while they watch Netflix.

The silence is broken by Babe’s soft whisper.

“I-I just thought that this was finally it. I really thought he liked me.” Bill starts to say something but Babe’s not finished. “I really fell for him and I hate myself for it. I shoulda known. He’s always with Renee and she’s so fucking perfect and caring and I shoulda known. What would he want with a guy like me? He’s a doctor. He saves lives. What do I do? Work on cars.”

Bill starts to protest but one look from Frannie shuts him up.

“Babe. Babe, look at me,” Frannie grabs his chin and forces him to tilt his head up at her. “I never want to hear you say something like that again. You’re one of the best people I’ve ever met and you welcomed me with open arms when Bill and I started dating and I can never thank you enough for that.

“And Babe, you’re so smart,” she continues. “You know everything there is to know about cars. You’ve always been nothing but caring and helpful.” Babe smothers her in a hug; a mix of happy and sad tears streaming down his face.

“I love you, Frannie,” he says, voice muffled by her shirt. He pauses. Then- “It hurts. _Gortaionn se chomh dona_.”

Frannie hurts. Bill hurts. Babe definitely hurts.

“I know, honey,” Fran coos. She decides this is the perfect time to reveal her gift. “I got you something on my way home today.”

“Yeah?” Babe asks, voice small.

“Here ya go.” She lifts her hand to reveal a stuffed lynx. Babe lets out a wet chuckle and clutches it to his chest.

They spend the rest of the night watching Netflix.

* * *

So Babe tries to move on. It’s easier said than done. He spends his time wondering how he misread the situation- cause he could’ve sworn that Gene showed at least a little bit of interest in him- and avoiding Gene’s texts and calls. The calls and texts consist of Gene asking how things are going to _are you okay?_ cause Babe hasn’t answered.

And, God, he really should stop calling him Gene. Babe’s the only one that calls him that, everyone else using _Roe_ or _Doc_ , and he feels that using 'Gene' is too affectionate at this point and he wants that to stop. Wants the pain in his chest to stop.

Except that it doesn’t. By Thursday, the pain in his chest is still there and it doesn’t help when Doc- yes, he’s worked up to calling him that- stops by his and Bill’s apartment that evening. Babe’s coming out of the bathroom when he hears that smooth and sweet Cajun accent at the door. He freezes in his tracks.

“I just wan’a know if he’s okay. He hasn’ answered any’a my texts.” Roe asks.

“He’s fine, Doc.” Bill answers tersely. “We done here?”

“I… guess we are.”

So Babe sits back on the couch and pretends like he didn’t hear anything.

* * *

Friday comes with Bill trying to convince Babe to go to the _506_ with them.

“I don’t know, Bill.”

“Aw, c’mon, Heffron. I got it on good authority that the Doc’s not even gonna be there tonight. Now’s a good time to drink ya sorrows away.”

So he goes. Things are fine at first. Sure, Babe may seem a bit subdued, but Toye, Buck, Nixon, and the rest of the gang are having too much fun to notice. That is, until the Doc does show up.

“Shit.” Bill hisses.

“I hate you, Bill. ‘ _I have it on good authority_.’ What bullshit.”

But nothing more can be said because Roe has come up to the table. A chorus of “ _Hey Doc!_ ” echoes around the table but Eugene is only looking at Babe.

“Edward, I-”

But Babe cuts him off cause he’ll be damned if he’s gonna let Eugene fuckin’ Roe waltz in here like sex on a stick and call him Edward in that fuckin’ deep voice of his. Babe makes a show of checking his watch, standing up and stating that he, “ _just realized- have to go- sorry guys-_ ” and stumbles out like the heartsick puppy that he is.

He should’ve known that Doc would follow him. Babe is halfway down the block before he hears his name being yelled.

“Heffron! Hey, Heffron!” Babe contemplates running away but figures that’s the cowards way out.

“Goddammit, Edward, stop!” Babe freezes and when Roe comes around to face him, he does his best to not make eye contact.

“Edward, wha’s been goin’ on?”

“I dunno what ya mean, Doc.” Roe visibly flinches at Babe’s use of ‘Doc’ instead of ‘Gene.’

“We haven’ spoken in over a week, Edward.”

“Yeah, well, I been busy. I do have a life, ya know?”

“Edward-” But once again, Babe cuts him off.

“Look, are we done here? I got places to be,” _Like under my covers, snuggling with the stuffed lynx Frannie got me_.

“No, we are not, Heffron,” Doc spits.

“Where’s Renee, Doc?” Loose lips sink ships, Babe thinks, and he’s sinking his pretty fast.

“What? Why?”

“It’s a simple question, Doc. Where’s Renee? She’s usually always with you.”

“I guess she’s at home. Why are you acting like this?”

“I’m just surprised that ya don’t know where ya girlfriend is.”

“My- _what?_ Why woul’ you think Renee is my girlfriend?”

“ _Because I saw you!_ ” To Babe’s horror, there’s tears welling up in his eyes. “I saw you kissing her! I came to the hospital cause I had finally worked up the courage to ask you out and I guess I was too late." Eugene’s jaw has dropped. “I guess I can’t blame ya though. It took me this long ta ask ya out. And Renee’s a great girl. She’s a fuckin’ saint and perfect for ya. What do I have to offer you? I’m just me. Can’t do anything right but fix cars and even then I get grease all over the place.”

“ _Edward James Heffron_ ,” Eugene seethes. “Y’better stop talkin’ ‘bout yo’self like that right now.”

_That_ shuts Babe up.

Roe’s voice takes on a softer tone. “Edward, Renee’s not my girlfriend. W-What you saw at the hospital… yes, Renee di’ kiss me but I pushed her right off. She was confused. She has a guy back home in Belgium, Alexandre, and he’s been begging her to come back so they can get married. She thought she had feelings for me an’ that’s why she kissed me. But she apologized right after.”

“S-So you don’t--?” Babe asks timidly.

“No. God, no, Edward.” Gene blushes. “I only eva’ had eyes fo’ you, Babe.”

Babe. _Babe_. “You mean that, Gene?” Eugene settles a little, realizing that he’s back to calling him Gene.

“‘Course I do, Edward. Y’caught my eye the first time I saw ya. Why d’ya think I always stopped by the garage where you work? Besides, ya look sexy when ya have those coveralls rolled down to your waist and you just have that wife beater on…” Gene’s eyes darken.

Babe’s sure he’s about to die. There’s no way that Gene Roe just told him he looks sexy. Now Gene’s getting closer, pressing Babe up against the wall of the store they’ve been arguing in front of, and Babe’s sure he’s going to die. All Babe gets out is a whispered “ _Fuck, Gene,_ ” before Gene’s lips are on his.

And it’s fuckin’ heaven. Babe’s sure he’s never felt anything better. So sue him, cause he’s starting to sound like those corny romance movies, but this kiss, _this kiss_ , feels like the beginning of everything he’s waited for his whole life. It feels like waking up with Gene next to him, sunlight coming in through the blinds and highlighting Gene’s face. It feels like making dinner with him in their apartment. It feels like forever.

He’s clutching Gene’s jacket in his hands and actually whimpering into his mouth. Gene, for his part, has one hand on Babe’s waist and the other tangled in his hair, angling Babe’s head just right and stealing those whimpers the further he licks into Babe’s mouth. They finally break apart but just barely, breathing each other in.

“Lemme take you home, Edward. Treat you right, I promise,” Gene purrs in that Cajun drawl of his.

Babe groans. “God, Gene, yes.” Then he’s powerless to do anything but crush his lips to Gene’s again. He can feel Gene’s smirk but then it turns into a groan as he bites Gene’s bottom lip and soothes the mark with his tongue.

“Woah, Babe! Didn’t know ya had a voyeuristic streak in ya! Heh!” Babe and Gene jump apart and see Bill smirking, with the rest of their friends standing behind him.

“Ah, shuddup, Gonorrhea.” He feels Gene grab his hand, lace their fingers together, and pull him the opposite direction, toward Gene’s apartment.

Wolf whistles follow.

* * *

For the second time tonight, Babe’s going to die.

As soon as they reached Gene’s apartment, Gene pushed him inside and slammed him up against the door.

“I’m gon’ make you fall ‘part, Heffron.”

“Gene. Gene please,” Babe whispers.

“Patience, mon amour,”

Gene leads Babe to his bedroom, where they slowly strip each other of their clothes, kisses following the whole way. Gene pushes Babe onto the bed, then climbs on top of him and _oh god_ , if Babe thought Gene leaning up against him was almost too much, he’s going to combust from the feeling of Gene’s lithe body pressed on top of his.

He reaches up and captures Gene’s lips with his. This time they share long, slow, languid kisses that Babe feels all the way down to his toes. Their tongues slide against each other and Babe can’t get enough. Gene pulls away and takes his time pressing kisses down Babe’s body; down his neck, across his collarbones, bussed across his nipples, and down his stomach, where Gene purposely misses his cock, and kisses his inner thighs.

“Geneeee…” Babe whines.

“Gon’ be worth it. I promise, sha.” Then he lifts Babe’s legs up and presses his tongue against Babe’s entrance.

“ _FUCK!_ ” Babe shouts. He can’t believe Gene’s rimming him but fuck, does it feel good.

Gene is unhurried, tongue tracing Babe’s hole. Then his tongue dips in and Gene’s making obscene noises as he works his tongue inside him and it’s all too much-

“Gene, Gene, _damn_ , I’m gonna- I-”

Gene pulls away and reaches into the nightstand, grabbing the lube, and slicking himself up. Babe is _throbbing_ in anticipation.

Then Gene lines himself up and slowly pushes in. He’s grabbing Babe’s leg and throwing it over his hip and Babe can’t keep his hands from roaming Gene’s muscular back as he groans from the feeling of Gene stretching him.

“Mon Dieu,” Gene groans. “Tu te sens si bien.”

“Please, Gene, please.” Babe gasps. Gene starts thrusting harder.

“Fuck, Gene, mo gra,” he tightens instinctively around Gene.

“ _Edward…_ ” Gene hisses.

And that’s what does it. Babe’s orgasm hits him suddenly and he throws his head back from the force of it. His orgasm must trigger Eugene’s cause he suddenly feels Gene filling him.

Afterwards, laying on their sides and facing each other, Gene whispers, “ _je t’aime_.” Babe can do nothing but whisper back, “ _Is brea liom tu, Gene_.”

* * *

In the morning, Babe and Gene are in the kitchen making french toast with strawberries and whipped cream. Babe can think of nothing better than the sight of Gene singing along to Frank Sinatra on the record player, the sun shining in through the window and glinting across Gene’s cheekbone.

“Grab the damn strawberries outta the fridge, Heffron.”

**Author's Note:**

> *peeks out from behind couch*  
> I hope it wasn't too bad.
> 
> This is also your daily reminder that the real Dick Winters was a gorgeous, gorgeous man.
> 
> Props to all the other authors out there because I didn't realize how hard writing and then publishing this story on here would be.


End file.
